Overcrowding Nightmare for Knightsville Elementary

When students picture their first day of school, they may think of the noise of conversation in the hallway, smiling teachers standing outside of their classroom doors, or perhaps opening their lockers for the very first time.

For the students who attend Knightsville Elementary in Summerville, S.C., they do not have that same picture of the first day. Knightsville, which is included in Dorchester District 2, has been battling an overcrowding of students. So what does this mean?

Students making the long walk back to the main building for lunch
(courtesy of The Post and Courier)

With the growing number of students the school is acquiring, the less room the classrooms possess. "The building, constructed in 1938, has room for only 850 students, forcing about 600 others into the 31 mobile units that have been added over the year," wrote reporter Brenda Rindge in her recent article for The Post and Courier. This means tighter quarters and longer walks to the main building for theses young students. Instead of a classroom, the students and teachers reside in a mobile trailer.

This situation makes me sad because I could not imagine spending my first years of school not in a traditional education environment. However, I have to look at the bright side: they are making accommodations rather than turning the students away.

Superintendent Joe Pye
(courtesy of The Post and Courier)

There has already been work in progress for improving this situation. Superintendent Joe Pye of Dorchester District 2 has stayed positive while addressing some concern there has been with the overcrowding affecting the student's performance in the classroom and parents feelings. He stated, "I haven't heard any complaints (about overcrowding). I think they (the parents) all know we passed the referendum and we are anxiously trying to get some new schools together, so they are waiting for that to happen."

I will be interested to see how this situation carries out through the rest of the year and if it has any negative affects on the students. My eye will stay on this situation to evaluate the decision and progress on building more schools.

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